Ixcanul (2015) Reviews

• Ixcanul is an insightful and powerful film about Kaqchikel culture

  vesperview2015-09-20

  Often times in Guatemala, you go watch a Guatemalan film solely for the sake of supporting your country. Ixcanul didn't feel that way, it is truly a film that transcends its origins and offers a story that feels universal. The story tackles topics such as agriculture, arranged marriages, pregnancy, among others. The film has a stunning cinematography and direction, which was quite impressive, some scenes do make use of the shaky camera method, which within context of what's happening in the film kind of make sense, however, they may feel a bit "out of place" considering the attention to detail that the rest of the film has. Although all of the actors are debuting in this film, the acting is stellar, particularly from María Telón who commands the film and really delivers some of it's most powerful and emotionally effective scenes. In some instances, the actors don't need to speak for you to understand their feelings, almost like a silent picture. The Spanish-speaking actors are the only ones that I felt lacking, but their parts are minimal and are hardly detracting to the film. Overall, Ixcanul is an eye-opener to people who are not familiar with the sad realities that the Kaqchikel people have to go through. It's the first film made in Guatemala that feels thought out, as well as culturally important and significant.

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• A beautiful and touching story about life on the side of a volcano.

  jen-lynx2016-09-18

  I've long been interested in Mayan mythology and culture, so when I heard about a new movie from Guatemala in the Maya language, I knew it was a film I wanted to see. "Ixcanul" is the Maya word for volcano, which looms large in the film, both physically and as a psychological barrier between this village and the rest of the world. Maria is a teenage girl, beautiful and bold. She lives with her parents, their only child, on a coffee plantation. Her parents have arranged her marriage to the plantation foreman, but neither seem particularly enthused about it. Instead, Maria dreams of escaping to the United States with a local worker. Despite her best attempts to get Pepe's agreement to take her with him North, she never secures a committed response. Her actions, however, have significant repercussions for her and her family. This could be a film about the uncaring and unsympathetic corporate owners of the plantations, or it could be about the ignorance of peasant life in the Guatemalan villages, or it could be a film that romanticizes North American culture and lifestyle, but it is none of these things. What it is, is an intimate and honest story of a brief moment in time of a family caught on the crossroads of tradition and modernity. "Ixcanul" is Guatemala's first entry in the Academy Awards for Foreign Language Film, and it certainly deserves to win. I am intrigued by the language and have a few unanswered questions, so it is likely I will pick this one up for the collection when released.

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• An eye-opening film

  brittleake2017-10-05

  Ixcanul is a cinematic chef-d'oeuvre that sheds light on the plight of many indigenous Guatemalans who suffer from almost unfathomable levels of economic, social, and political exploitation. The film has many heart-breaking moments where the powerlessness of the film's protagonists comes through in a way that feels deeply real and authentic. One of the most interesting aspects of this films is that it is the first feature film created in Kaqchikel, one of the many indigenous Mayan languages of Guatemala. The actors are all native speakers of Kaqchikel, and the filmmakers overcame significant difficulties to assemble the cast that they did. The fact that the actors are so inexperienced makes the film all the more incredible because it did not at moment seem faked, at least for me. I would also like to address some of the criticism that has been levelled at the film and the filmmakers. The problem of orthography, that the title uses a c instead of a k, following modern (instead of colonial) spelling conventions, seems like minutiae compared to all of the positive work the film does in raising awareness of many of the problems indigenous Guatemalans face on a routine basis. Many also say the film only reinforces stereotypes about indigenous peoples in Guatemala and in the Americas more broadly. In that for many people this film will be their first exposure to contemporary Mayans, there is a risk of Ixcanul becoming a single story that defines an entire people. But it is the choice of the spectator to determine whether or not he/she will extrapolate stereotypes about an entire people from the portrayal of one family in one village at one specific point in time. However, if you look beyond these somewhat valid criticisms, you will see a cinematic masterpiece that will make you look at the world in a different way.

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• Highly relatable

  nataliercurtiss2017-10-05

  Ixcanul is an astonishingly visually beautiful movie. The sweeping landscapes and colorful clothing take an urban American audience into another world entirely. Although the characters speak Kaqchikel and their lifestyles appear very different from my own, I found them instantly relatable. Maria, the protagonist, is a perfectly normal teenager. She is helpful to her parents, except when she doesn't want to be. She has a crush on a boy who isn't good for her. She wants to leave home. All of Maria's desires are the same as those of an American teenager; the physical and cultural setting is the only difference. This is part of what makes Ixcanul so important. It does a very good job of both showing difference and making it feel natural. Although we see a world that is different from the one we are used to, it does not feel alien. The relationship between Maria and her mother, Juana, is one of the key elements of this movie that makes it so warm and familiar. While they tend to interact casually, there are several moments in which the depth of their relationship is palpable. The scene in the bath in which Maria's mother discovers her pregnancy, for instance, feels very realistic. Juana scolds her daughter for not "counting her moons", but there is no anger in her voice. Only love and concern. Her father's reaction, with near equal skill, shows the more authoritarian relationship that he has with his daughter. The small family unit is beautifully and convincingly created. This small, close-knit family is contrasted with an immense landscape. The side of the volcano on which they live allows for wide shots of footpaths criss-crossing through a rocky, jungley terrain. Although they are not far from the town of Solola, they appear to be in a separate world with a delicate social ecosystem. This makes the plot feel even more realistic, because we are left little to compare it to until this isolation becomes an obstacle towards the end of the movie. Overall, it is an interesting, emotional movie. I highly recommend it.

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• Ixtanul

  lischneider2016-10-05

  Ixtanul is a very unique film in that it causes the viewers to question. This film essentially about a young girl named Maria, who prepares for her arranged wedding (set by her parents) as she overcomes unusual obstacles along the way. Although this film is slow and not very action-packed, it taught me a lot about Mayan culture and tradition in Guatemala. This film was unlike any film I have ever seen because of its mystery and lack of sound. There was almost no music in this film, which I thought was really interesting because it added uniqueness to the film. Also, the camera angles and shots were very different than most other films. Overall, this film taught me more about Guatemalan society than I have ever known.

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